Building success with Engineering & Technology

Cochin Herald

Not many are aware of the difficulties involved in building something like a superstructure to small types of equipment or products. It takes a lot of determination, spunk and excessive thinking to build something. Engineering technology to that extent is the practical application of science and engineering to a wide range of real-world problems. It is not something that one day you become a know all. Producing a solid reputation in this field comes from a lot of experiences, failures, industrial knowledge, insights, hard work, dedication, persistence and a clear-cut vision.

George Bou Nasr, the founder and chairman of Extra Co Group of Companies is one such visionary who has built a reputation that literally boasts of such qualities; purely based on engineering technology.

Born and raised by a simple living couple, George Bou Nasr grew up as an engineer who had the vision of contributing extra miles to the most prestigious benchmark projects in the UAE. He started shaping the organisation in the year of 1977 which has now moulded into an organisation of around 5000 strong workforce and manufactures the best-of-the-best construction materials and structural requirements.

Extra Co Group of Companies today is a leading manufacturer in the Middle East. It offers a variety of products and services in the fields of fibreglass composites, prefabricated houses, interior furnishings and fit-outs, structural and aesthetic precast and metal works. Extra Co boasts over 40 years of experience and technical expertise that is constantly used to deliver complex and custom design products for special applications in addition to its line of standard products and services.

An extraordinary journey

When George started Al Badr Contracting & Civil Construction Company LLC in 1978, it was an idea of hard work and precision. Manufacturing through technology and innovation, was yet another concept that shaped Extra Co in 1981, until it engineered and sold through several of the divisions that were established later. Development involved various processes and technologies with customized manufacturing practices and little room for handwork.

George began the journey initially in the construction and manufacturing segments. Computerized machines entered the workshops with additional choices of vast benefits for working; with the help of specialized industrial designers. New material and processes became available with relevant invention ideas.

40 long years later, George Bou Nasr is still amazed at how much has changed in-and-around these sectors due to incredible advances in technology. The last two decades have seen some of the most dramatic shifts in customer behaviour and expectations in modern times. If anything is different, it is the bridging and enablement of innovation and emerging technologies to transform business strategies and operations; reduced costs and improved quality of existing and new products.

“We are moving with time and are fortunate to be a part of this transformative decade. Our clients are responding to change and embracing our unique trusted model. We have grown with other construction and industrial sectors added to the list; catering not only to local but international markets,” says George Bou Nasr.

With a strong strategic vision, foundational research and various customer engagement models, Extra Co is equipped with solutions for extraordinary changes to construction and industrial sectors.

The future for industrial sector promises to be thriving as the speed of transformation continues to hasten. We are thankful to our clients for their business and amazing journey with us. I am grateful to our dedicated and committed team for advancement and transformation of our business. We appreciate with profound happiness the support of our clients, partners, and friends for their journey together with us. We look forward to the future and boundless prospects that continue to be explored, adds the pioneer founder.

George is well supported by his family members and younger brother John Bou Nasr who is the CFO of the group.

Forging a path

Extra Co was established in Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates in the year 1979. The company started out as a very small operation with a few workers producing small fibreglass water tanks. Since then, Extra Co has significantly grown in size and capabilities to become a leading industrial manufacturer in the region for thousands of different products, with more than 5,000 employees throughout the United Arab Emirates alone. Extra Co’s products and services have reached many parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States of America.

Throughout its operations, Extra Co has adopted state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and has pioneered new manufacturing methods to bring customer requirements to reality; all the while maintaining the highest quality standards. Extra Co possesses several accreditations for its product ranges and operational procedures from the most globally acknowledged and reputed quality standards institutions.

Extra Co’s product portfolio grew over the years to form four major business units:

The Prefab & Interiors Business Unit manufactures both standard and custom designed prefab houses for temporary and permanent use, as wells as supplies complete interior fit-outs and carpentry work for corporate, residential, or hospitality sectors.

The Precast Business Unit manufactures and installs standard and custom elements in GRC, gypsum, and concrete, for industrial, commercial, or residential projects. The unit produces and installs standard and custom elements in GRC, gypsum, and concrete.

The Metal Works Business Unit manufactures and erects all types of Steel Structures, designs and manufactures scaffolding systems, supplies (as per requirements) cut and bent steel reinforcement bars for the construction industry and manufactures steel profiles for structural and sheeting requirements and manufactures and erects all types of Aluminium components and cladding.

Today Extra Co has various manufacturing and production facilities in multiple countries. Around 7 factories are established over the years with an area of more than 3.2 million sq. ft. in total that supports all their industrial needs. Such huge facilities contain a workforce of more than 5,000 employees and are equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and proprietary technologies of the highest quality and standards. The firm has obtained various quality certificates like the ISO 9001, API, WRAS, UL, GL and the Warrington. Today, Extra Co Group of Companies is placed at a value of more than USD 250 million.

Extra Co develops and maintains a long-term relationship with all of its clients and helps them arrive at the optimal technical and commercial solutions for their projects. Apart from the prominent projects, the conglomerate actively participates in the construction of government offices, commercial and residential structures, along with onshore and offshore oil and gas field services, power, water and energy fields.

Extra Co Industries is the newest addition to the group of companies. It consists of 120,000 sq.m. of land where modern state-of-the-art factory units have been established. Although the establishment of the factory units and the legal entity itself is new, the expertise is not since it is developed as an extended facility to cater humongous project volume. Extra Co Industries is the evolvement of Extra Co’s wealth of experience and knowledge since all of Extra Co’s Metal Works Business Unit manufacturing operations have been migrated to Extra Co Industries, in addition to some fiberglass composite works. As such, Extra Co Industries is building upon Extra Co’s many years of experience in the Metal Works and Fiberglass Composites fields.

Extra Co Industries both engages in direct sales and acts as a manufacturer for Extra Co. This setup allows Extra Co to be a one stop-shop for turnkey projects, as well as providing customers, with specific targeted needs, direct access to Extra Co Industries.

Al Badr Contracting & Civil Construction Co

Al Badr (www.albadr.ae), headed by Abdul Rahim, is the first establishment in the group and has branches in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Al Badr deals with all types of construction works, including infrastructure, industrial, commercial, and residential works. It has in-house capabilities for civil, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing works. Our clients are ADNOC, FEWA, MOPW, GHQ and others.

Green Oasis General Contracting Co.

Green Oasis (www.goc.ae), headed by Mohamed Ayad is the group’s company established in Dubai for construction works. Green Oasis deals with all types of construction works, including infrastructure, industrial, commercial and residential works; it has also gained specialized experience in infrastructure and industrial projects, with main concentrations on 400kV & 132/11kV substations, water reservoirs, cooling plants, water pipelines, and transmission lines. It has in-house capabilities for civil, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing works. Our clients are Siemens, ABB, EEE, Nexous, DEWA and others.

Extra Co Business Units

Fibreglass Composites Division

Tanks & Vessels

Pipes & Fittings

Sewerage & Drainage Products

Miscellaneous FRP Products & Services

Prefab & Interiors Division

Prefab

Interiors

Precast Division

GRC

GRG

Concrete

Steel Structures & Buildings Division

PEB | HR Buildings

Heavy Steel Fabrication

Metal Works Division

Re-bar Cut & Bend

Steel Structures

Scaffolding & Framework

Roll Forming

Aluminium Works

MS Pipes Production

Envisaging a future

Under the guidance and leadership of George Bou Nasr, Extra Co’s future is particularly secured in the hands of Habeeb Abdul Wahhab, the Group’s Director for Business Development & Marketing. Habeeb has been associated with the group since 1998. He established the GRC and GRG Business units and was later entrusted with the responsibility of business development & marketing at the corporate level of groups. He has a clear vision and plans for the future. With the help of his expert SWOT analysis, Habeeb aims to focus more on the local markets of the construction sector, mainly with government and selected private sector projects, but will also expand to the Middle East, CIS & other markets for their Industries and manufacturing businesses in the future.

More focus will be given to the oil and gas sector, infrastructure and industrial segments. They are expecting more projects as Extra Co is a specialised and reputed company in the field of engineering technology. The experience of 40 years and more will enable Extra Co to take up new and challenging projects in the manufacturing of GRP/GRE pipes & fittings, GRP special storage tanks, both underground and above ground and also GRP custom built tanks.

Extra Co has recently supplied and installed the biggest GRP Panel Tank in the ME in Dubai. Extra Co has established different self-sufficient SMC manufacturing plant while all the business units have their own in-house design teams & testing facilities, who always look forward to the future with a bright mind.

GRP Composites Business unit is ably led by Vinesh Mohan, General Manager, civil engineer and a techno commercial brain behind product growth & enhancements. In his team is Jameel Al Sudani who heads the design team, an expert in the field who is also positive about the end results, all the while welcoming a good challenge.

Steel Structure is led by young & dynamic General Manager, Ravi Kumar. With a Masters in Structural Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in India, he is busy in expanding the overall capacity and capabilities of the unit.

Metal Works is under the leadership of Elie Ltayf, General Manager and brain behind the scaffoldings business enhancement.

Aluminium & Glass, the youngest division of the group, is led by Noushad Rasheed, General Manager, who is a well experienced professional with a cautious approach to the vulnerable market.

Prefab & Interiors is led by dynamic Elias Chukrallah, who has been associated with the group since 1988 and has a good insight and updates of the latest technological developments in prefab & interiors. GFRC and GFRG are led by a caring Charles Khattar, General Manager and have achieved one of the best growths for his unit.